Can I help him learn to cross-crawl correctly?

[akat]

He's 7 mo. old. He was army crawling, but then figured out how to get himself into sitting position. Since then, he 'crawls' with one leg, then he drags the other leg into sitting. Then he takes one more 'crawl-step' with that first leg, and drags 2nd leg under himself into sitting. Repeat...

Can I do anything to help him get it right?

[HonkyTonka]

nak

from what i understand, there is no 'right' way to crawl.

[akat]

I thought that cross-crawling is an important developmental step.

[Plarka]

Originally Posted by akat

I thought that cross-crawling is an important developmental step.

Yeah, it is, but some kids don't do it and are fine anyway. I can only think of modelling it for him, or how about can you put him on his tummy and move his arms and legs in a cross pattern, or would he be trying too hard to get away?

[Forthwith]

According to a baby development book I was flipping through the other day, there are something like 25 distinct crawling styles that babies use. It didn't go through them, but your child's method may well be a normal type of crawling.

My DS has this odd crawl that looks like he's got a limp. He uses his right knee the way you would expect, but on the left side he uses his foot. I had assumed it was because he just started crawling, and he would eventually start crawling normally, but my grandmother says that my mother crawled the exact same way.

[akind1]

my DS does this same thing. it gets him where he wants to go. I half think it is because we have hard floors and this way he doesn't have to put both knees on the floor.

[belltree]

There are tons of ways to crawl. Your child is still very young. Eventually he will learn how to cross-crawl, but maybe not before he's walking.

[akat]

He is very eager to walk, and my older one walked at 9 mo.

[jenfl]

My daughter had an odd crawl, too -- knee and foot, like a PP. She hardly ever cross-crawled.

Your LO is still really young, too -- he will probably figure out a number of different ways before he walks.

[Limabean1975]

Both my kids did / are doing the one-knee-one-foot thing. DS never cross-crawled. DD is on the verge of starting to walk and is clearly never going to cross-crawl.

I do remember reading somewhere that the whole idea of crawling being a necessary stage of development was disproven.

[Limabean1975]

This isn't the article I saw before, but this one has similar information.

Here's another article.

[laughingfox]

Great articles, Limabean1975!

As referenced in the articles, I imagine it probably depends a lot on the flooring. DD1 never really crawled before walking (she crawled backwards, twice), but we had floors that weren't comfy to crawl on.
When we lived in a place with carpet (when she was about a year and a half) she started crawling all the time for fun.

[Fly Girl]

Originally Posted by Kelmendi

My DS has this odd crawl that looks like he's got a limp. He uses his right knee the way you would expect, but on the left side he uses his foot. I had assumed it was because he just started crawling, and he would eventually start crawling normally, but my grandmother says that my mother crawled the exact same way.

My DD did this! We thought it was so funny! She never learned to cross crawl until well after she learned to walk.

[akat]

Thanks everyone, and thanks Limabean for the articles.

[atpeace]

My DD did the foot-knee crawl too, and never used both knees. We thought it was funny, not a problem, and she just progressed to normal walking from there.

At the time, we called it "golluming" (as in "Miriam is golluming to the living room", like a verb), since it reminded DH of Gollum (the ghoul from Lord of the Rings, I've never seen it, but apparently that's what he looks like).

[Limabean1975]

Originally Posted by atpeace

My DD did the foot-knee crawl too, and never used both knees. We thought it was funny, not a problem, and she just progressed to normal walking from there.

At the time, we called it "golluming" (as in "Miriam is golluming to the living room", like a verb), since it reminded DH of Gollum (the ghoul from Lord of the Rings, I've never seen it, but apparently that's what he looks like).

Ha! Mine (who does the foot/knee crawl) is a Miriam too!! I may have to start saying "golluming".

[akat]

Haha, yeah, we say ours looks like the little limping miner alien in Galaxy Quest, on the barillium sphere planet...

[mumkimum]

Dd1 never really did 'cross crawling' - always favored the inchworm/army style crawling (was more into climbing - she could make it up a flight of stairs before she could walk, or did 'regular' crawling'). Probably just the kiddo's preference, in part.

@ 'golluming'

[Siennaflower]

My dd2 did something similar and then progressed into a cross crawl.

[sunnygir1]

My ds army crawled without using his legs, then began using his legs, so he was getting the alternating motion, but still on his tummy. Now he sometimes crawls "normally" and is pulling to a stand and cruising. Give him time, he'll probably figure it out...sounds like his crawl is progressing.